File No. 763.72112/3044

The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs ( Grey ) to the British Ambassador at Washington ( Spring Rice )

[Substance of telegram]

Legislation has recently been passed by the Congress of the United States which confers on the President powers to resort, in certain circumstances, to retaliatory measures against the Allied powers. In the meanwhile, the submarine warfare conducted by the Germans against merchant shipping, which formed the subject of President Wilson’s protests, proceeds uninterrupted save that the submarines [Page 446] have left liners carrying passengers alone. Enemy submarines are known to have sunk 258 merchant ships since June 1, 68 of these being neutral, 69 British, and 121 of Allied nationality. In many of these cases no warning was given before the ships were sunk, and the crews have in the greater number of cases been exposed on the high seas in open boats without any other chance of saving their lives; and in this way merchant seamen’s lives have in some cases been sacrificed.

It might, I think, be advisable that you should cause these facts to come to the knowledge of the Department of State. You could at the same time convey to them a private warning as follows: A course of action may now be adopted by the United States Government, calculated to force on Allied ships the carrying of enemy trade and on nationals of Allied countries the necessity of trading with the enemy, while preventing any pressure being brought by the Allies to bear on enemy commerce. Such action by the United States will present an inconceivably invidious contrast to that of refraining from action, or even (as has been the case for the last four or five months) protest, regarding German submarine warfare against merchantmen, which is being allowed to proceed all the time.

It has now become more necessary than ever, owing to the losses which German submarines have inflicted on shipping generally, to see that in the interest of the Allies British shipping is employed. The action of the United States will certainly be regarded as most surprising if, after tolerating without protest the continued reduction of the world’s shipping by the activities of German submarines, that power now adopts a course the result of which must be to compel the shipping of Great Britain and her allies to carry goods in the interest of their enemies’ trade.

I understand that Congress has failed to enact certain legislation which is admitted to be necessary for the purpose of restraining our enemies from illegal action on United States territory and the prevention of unneutral acts. You might bring this matter also to the attention of the State Department.

I may mention that the justification and necessity for the defensive armament of merchantmen is shown by the fact that, while German submarines have attacked more than 69 British vessels, the attack has been successfully beaten off in the case of certain defensively armed ships which regained their port in safety.